


More Than A Hero

by thorkified



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Confessions, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Things They Like About Each Other, accidental love confession
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-16
Updated: 2019-02-16
Packaged: 2019-10-29 15:18:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17810465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thorkified/pseuds/thorkified
Summary: Peter knows that Tony sees himself as bad, but he will never share this mindset and it hurts him to know that Tony can’t see just how great he is. So, during a presentation at school he invited Tony to, he decided to tell him.





	More Than A Hero

**Author's Note:**

> _Written for the Starker Valentine's Day Event 2019_  
>  Prompt: Things they like about each other

* * *

Tony hates himself. Everyone knows. The Avengers know, Peter knows, hell, Tony himself knows. He always knew. And Peter absolutely hates it because Tony is so amazing and incredible and smart, how can he hate himself? He quickly noticed that nothing anyone says is taking away this awful view he has about himself though, no matter how adamantly it’s delivered. He tries multiple times himself, but even if Tony reacts with a smile, Peter always knows that deep down, he doesn’t believe him. It breaks his heart that Tony can’t love himself the way Peter does.

There are times when Peter wonders if this is all just an act, but then he catches Tony’s eyes when he thinks no one is watching him and he knows it’s not. He’s young, yes, but he knows what dread looks like and he knows damn well what guilt looks like and those are two things he can see in the man’s eyes all the time, no matter how much Tony tries to hide it. It’s hard to witness every time, but the worst is when Tony eventually looks up and their eyes meet and he gets a true glimpse at just how much worse things are in his head. It makes Peter feel so utterly helpless every time.

Peter tries countless of times, but this is something that Tony won’t speak about, ever. It doesn’t matter how he approaches the topic, Tony will find a way to guide him away from it before giving an actual answer, every single time. Eventually, the boy gives up trying to get anything out of him, but that doesn’t mean things stop hurting.

Then, Peter’s teachers decide to host a special day where the students may invite someone and are supposed to hold a small presentation the guests will be listening to. The topic is “Our Heroes”. Peter doesn’t expect a yes when he invites Tony to the event, which makes the man’s answer and the promise to come even more exciting for him. And in this moment, he comes up with a plan. It won’t change the way Tony sees himself, but it will at least show him that it’s not how Peter sees him at all.

When the big day finally comes, Peter is nervous. Tony actually took up on his promise and sits in the front row in his classroom and when the teacher calls Peter’s name so he can hold his presentation, his heart beats so fast he thinks he might choke on it.

“We all have heroes,” he starts, trying to not look at Tony even though his eyes keep drifting back to him all the time as he speaks. “Some are our family members who have done great, some are people we have never met. My hero is a friend, a mentor, someone I have looked up to ever since I was a child.” He takes a deep breath to collect himself, not missing the way Tony’s posture tensed slightly. “He is not only my hero because of the heroic things he does, even though I admire him greatly for them. It’s more than that -  _ he  _ is more than that - and that’s what makes him my hero.

“It’s coming over after a stressful day, even though I don’t feel like working, and being greeted with a smile and a hug and a mug of hot chocolate instead of calculations to sit over. It’s the way he makes me laugh when I feel like crying and how he listens to me vent about all the stupid things that are going on in my head. It’s listening to me rambling about the things I enjoy on other days, asking questions and being interested, even if it’s absolutely nothing he would usually care about. It’s giving me the feeling of coming home when I feel like everything falls apart and I have no place to go to. It’s showing me that, no matter how much pain you have to go through, you can still be a caring, kind and wonderful person. It’s giving me a reason, giving me hope and a purpose. It’s making me feel like I matter and am loved and wanted, even when I can’t see it myself.” Peter tries hard not to look at Tony, but fails after just a few seconds. “He’s my hero because he makes me believe I can do good, that I can do great even, and because he never lets me down, no matter how dumb I am sometimes. Heroes don’t always wear capes. Sometimes the most heroic thing they are doing is believing in you and that is something my hero always does, even when I don’t deserve it.”

There is a lot of applause, but Peter barely registers it. His eyes are on Tony, on Tony who has never looked at him like that and he doesn’t know if it’s good or bad, if he just made everything worse or if he managed to make Tony understand even a little. He doesn’t have time to ask though because the next person is already waiting, so he just sits down in his seat at the back of the room, waiting.

After the bell dismisses them, everyone runs to their guests, but Peter doesn’t move. He doesn’t know how to, really. In the end, it’s Tony who comes to him and crouches in front of his chair.

“You’re quite smart, kid, you know that?” Tony asks, a weak smile on his lips.

“I’m trying to be,” Peter smiles back, but at the same time his stomach turns. “Sorry for making you listen to that…”

“Don’t apologize,” Tony says and stands up, resting a hand on Peter’s shoulder as he does the same. “I’m glad I came and listened, I mean it.”

“You don’t think it’s cheesy?” Peter asks with a smirk and Tony actually chuckles.

“Oh, it was absolutely cheesy,” he grins and wraps an arm around Peter’s shoulder as they walk out, long after everyone else has already left. “But it was also the truth, wasn’t it? Is that why you asked me to come here today?”

Peter’s cheeks flush and he nods, looking down at his feet. “I didn’t know if you’d come, but when you said yes, I… kind of figured it would be a good way to tell you these things…”

Tony smiles and squeezes Peter’s shoulder gently. “You are too good for this world, Pete.”

Peter doesn’t answer, too flustered to speak, but he lets Tony guide him outside to the car he came with. School is over, so when Tony offers to take him home, the boy just nods and smiles faintly. He feels a bit embarrassed about some of the things he has said, but Tony doesn’t seem mad, so he tries to not let it get to him.

Once they are in the car, however, his anxiety breaks free and he turns to Tony, eyes wet and almost desperate. “I meant all of that, you know?” he says, clenching his hands to fists and pressing them against his thighs. “You don’t have to hate yourself! You’re so amazing and kind and great, there’s no reason to hate yourself! I’ve never met someone as good as you before...”

“Oh, Pete…” Tony looks sad, disappointed even, and leans over to pull the boy into a tight hug. “You don’t know how much it means to me that you say that.”

“I mean it,” Peter sniffs and holds onto Tony, nearly clings to him hard enough to tear his shirt. He’s crying even though he doesn’t want to cry and he can’t stop it. “You are doing so much good, you’re helping so many people and you’re helping me every single day… I just want you to see yourself how I see you… I don’t want to look at you and see all those horrible things behind your eyes that I know are there…”

Tony swallows down the lump in his throat before he says anything. “What… horrible things?”

“How you’re not good enough and how you constantly screw up and how you always make everything you touch worse… I can see it in your eyes, I can see the disappointment when something goes wrong, I can see it all the time...” Peter sobs by now, but just thinking about it hurts so much, he can’t even try to stop it anymore. “I know what you’re thinking and I know how much it hurts and I don’t want you to feel like that, it’s not fair, you don’t deserve this, Mr. Stark…”

“Now, Pete, you gotta calm down here,” Tony says with a thick voice, trying to not show how close the boy’s words are hitting him. He’s not dumb, he can hear - and feel - that this is about more than just his own feelings, but Peter’s as well, but this isn’t the time to talk about that. “I’m okay, I promise. Those thoughts just come after certain things, but I am happy about your words, really. It’s good to know at least someone doesn’t see me like that.”

“I never would,” Peter says stubbornly, clutches Tony’s shirt and shakes his head against his chest. “You’re my hero and you’ll always be, I don’t care what happens. I know you are a hero.”

“I will happily be your hero, Pete,” Tony smiles and presses a kiss onto Peter’s head, holding him tight. “I’ll always be your hero.”

Peter sniffs again and wraps his arms around Tony, but despite him still being upset, Tony can feel that his words are calming him down. Maybe it’s not all bad that he’s done, after all, he thinks as he brushes a hand through the boy’s hair. Even if Peter is the only one who still sees him as a hero, it makes all the difference to him in the end. And his words were the most touching ones he has ever heard, sounding more like a love declaration than anything else. And maybe, just maybe, that’s what they actually were. Tony truly wishes that would be the true meaning behind them and behind the boy being so upset, because if anyone’s love could ever be healing, it would surely be Peter’s. And if he wants anyone’s love, it’s undoubtedly his…

 


End file.
